Chargers Evaluate Convention Space As Part Of Proposed Stadium Deal

September 20, 2011

The Chargers have “asked their architects to produce an $800 million stadium plan that would include convention space and eliminate the need for a $550 million expansion to the San Diego Convention Center now being prepared,” according to Showley & Weisberg of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. Chargers Special Counsel Mark Fabiani said that the meeting in the city with the architects “about 10 days ago will be followed up in October with a proposal expected by year's end.” Fabiani yesterday said that the team “could exercise its exit clause between February and May to leave San Diego, but he expected the team to be still working on a local stadium plan in that period.” Fabiani: "If we get totally shut down here, people say they don't like the idea ... they tell us to get lost with our ideas, we'll obviously reassess where we are. Obviously, I hope that doesn't happen." Fabiani said that the architects “have been asked to design several hundred thousand square feet of convention space” into the proposed downtown stadium and “make it flexible enough to host major sports events.” He “estimated the cost at $750 million to $800 million, including a retractable roof, with perhaps half the funding coming from local taxpayers.” Fabiani: "If we could do two facilities as one and save money, that's important. If we're talking about hundreds of millions of dollars from the Chargers and the NFL, if we're talking about access to other revenue sources that might be available for a convention-type facility, then we're talking about actually a financial package that could work" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 9/20).